Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by people’s motives whether that be in real life or written on the page. That’s what drew me to write in the thriller genre to begin with because at the core, it's about finding out why people do things. But sometimes this genre portrays female characters as either innocent damsels or evil femme fatales, neither of which captures that women are a mix of good and bad like all other people. That’s why I try to write my female protagonists in my novels, short stories, and fictional podcasts, in a way that makes them conflicted humans and causes them to experience both downfalls and triumphs. 


I wrote

ShadowCast

By V.P. Morris,

Book cover of ShadowCast

What is my book about?

Dakota Kilroy, a 28-year-old investigative journalist, is haunted by the unsolved disappearance of her best friend, Maddy Montgomery who went…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Dark Places

V.P. Morris Why did I love this book?

Years before Gone Girl became a huge sensation, I stumbled upon an online interview with Flynn hosted by the 92nd Y in Manhattan, a place I visited myself while studying English Literature in New York.

She spoke about how she wanted to write real, complex, and morally gray female characters which weren't particularly popular at the time.

This inspired her to write Libby Day, the messy, troubled, and snarky protagonist of Dark Places. I rushed to read the book right away. And then I was hooked.

This is exactly the type of female character I wanted to write: some who struggles but isn’t a damsel, someone who has values but isn’t a princess, someone who is tough and determined but not a female version of a male action hero. 

By Gillian Flynn,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Dark Places as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE BESTSELLING PHENOMENON

'Eerily macabre... Wonderful' Guardian
'A nerve-fraying thriller' New York Times
'Every bit as horribly fascinating as In Cold Blood' Daily Mail

Libby Day was seven when her family was murdered: she survived by hiding in a closet - and famously testified that her older brother Ben was the killer.

Twenty-five years later the Kill Club - a secret society obsessed with notorious crimes - gets in touch with Libby to try to discover proof that may free Ben. Almost broke, Libby agrees to go back to her hometown to investigate - for a fee.

But when Libby's…


Book cover of A Head Full of Ghosts

V.P. Morris Why did I love this book?

As an avid horror fan, not much creeps me out. This book did.

The story follows Merry, a young girl who is certain her teenage sister, Marjorie is possessed. Soon her religious parents believe Marjorie is possessed as well and invite a film crew to document the strange happenings in their home and an attempted exorcism.

The details of this alleged possession are terrifying, especially told from the perspective of a nine-year-old girl.

But just when you think you understand what happened with their family, the last few pages turn the tables on you and cause you to question what Merry has told you, how good of a person she actually is, and ask yourself how responsible could a child be in this horrific circumstance. 

By Paul Tremblay,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked A Head Full of Ghosts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The lives of the Barretts, a suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia. To her parents' despair, the doctors are unable to halt Marjorie's descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show.Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie's younger sister, Merry. As she recalls the terrifying events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets…


Ad

Book cover of The Romantics

The Romantics By Isabel Jolie,

Some endings deserve a second chance.

In The Romantics, Dr. Harrison Ramsey's meticulously planned life collides with the ex he swore to forget. A prosperous plastic surgeon, Harrison is a member of an elite, exclusive Houston club, while Zuri faces professional ruin after a messy breakup. When circumstances force them…

Book cover of The Swallows

V.P. Morris Why did I love this book?

While The Swallows deals with an unsettling subject matter, Lutz tells the story with a light-hearted voice and bits of humor which made reading this book an enjoyable experience for me.

The novel follows the teachers and students at an elite boarding school where a secret club of male students subject the girls to an upsetting sexual contest.

Previous attempts to disband or expose this club in the school’s past have been unsuccessful which makes our two main characters, rebellious student, Gemma and creative writing teacher, Alex even more determined to stop the sexual harassment and coercion of female students.

Both Gemma and Alex make some mistakes and morally questionable choices in their pursuit of the truth but they show relentless grit and determination in the name of justice. 

By Lisa Lutz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Swallows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A blistering, timely tale of revenge from the bestselling author of The Passenger

GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS

What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want?

It starts with this simple writing prompt from Alex Witt to her students at Stonebridge Academy. When their answers raise disturbing questions of their own, Ms. Witt knows there's more going on at the school than anyone will admit. She finds the few girls who've started to question the school's `boys will be boys' attitude and incites a resistance that quickly becomes a movement. As the school's secrets begin to trickle…


Book cover of The Other Family

V.P. Morris Why did I love this book?

This novel is exactly what I look for in a thriller.

It’s fast-paced, filled with twists, and full of complex female characters.

The Howell Family is forced to move from California to Brooklyn for the husband’s job. Wife and mother, Nora is tasked with setting up their new home and getting her two teen daughters settled into their new schools.

However, she discovers their new Brownstone was the site of a grisly murder of an entire family in the 1990s. Soon one of the daughters notices someone stalking her and their house causing the family to fear the killer has returned.

But Nora isn’t the helpless stay-at-home mother everyone thinks she is as she goes through great lengths including hiding a dark past to keep her family safe. 

By Wendy Corsi Staub,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Other Family as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of PopSugar's Most Anticipated Books!

One of Bibliofile's Most Anticipated Mystery/Thriller Books!

“Great psychological suspense with a wallop of a twist.” —Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author

New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub makes her trade paperback debut with a fast-paced thriller in the vein of Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs and Megan Collins’ The Winter Sister. Here, a family making a fresh start moves into a house which was the site of an unsolved triple homicide—and are watched by an unknown person...

The watcher sees who you are...and knows what you did. 

It’s the…


Ad

Book cover of The Truth About Unringing Phones

The Truth About Unringing Phones By Lara Lillibridge,

When Lara was four years old, her father moved from Rochester, New York, to Anchorage, Alaska, a distance of over 4,000 miles. She spent her childhood chasing after him, flying a quarter of the way around the world to tug at the hem of his jacket.

Now that he is…

Book cover of The Guest List

V.P. Morris Why did I love this book?

What I love about this book is every character is morally gray.

Some are much worse than others as the reader will see at the end of the novel but no one is a perfect saint either. The three main female characters are Julia, the bride having a lavish wedding on a remote island, her sister Olivia, a mentally fragile teen girl, and the hard-working wedding planner, Aoife.

As the story unfolds, you see how these women have been hurt by the men in their lives and their reactions to it.

Some violence occurs but you’re left to question whether such a punishment was appropriate for such a horrible person. Foley allows the readers to know the flaws of her characters while never using her narration to condemn them.

In a sense, she allows them to be human. 

By Lucy Foley,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked The Guest List as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*The brand new thriller from Lucy Foley - THE PARIS APARTMENT - is available to pre-order now*

The No.1 Sunday Times bestseller

*Over 1 million copies sold worldwide*
*One of The Times and Sunday Times Crime Books of the Year*
*Goodreads Choice Awards winner for Crime & Mystery 2020*

A gripping, twisty murder mystery thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of The Hunting Party.

'Lucy Foley is really very clever' Anthony Horowitz
'Thrilling' The Times
'A classic whodunnit' Kate Mosse
'Sharp and atmospheric and addictive' Louise Candlish
'A furiously twisty thriller' Clare Mackintosh

On an island off the windswept Irish…


Explore my book 😀

ShadowCast

By V.P. Morris,

Book cover of ShadowCast

What is my book about?

Dakota Kilroy, a 28-year-old investigative journalist, is haunted by the unsolved disappearance of her best friend, Maddy Montgomery who went missing at the age of fifteen. When financial difficulties force her to move back home to Santa Monica, CA, she cannot take the unanswered questions anymore. Determined to find out what happened to Maddy, Dakota starts ShadowCast, a true crime podcast to publicize the case. But little does she know the man responsible for Maddy’s disappearance all those years ago is listening in and tampering with her investigation.

ShadowCast is a psychological thriller with page-turning suspense, a story that praises the value of friendship and the fearless pursuit of justice.

Book cover of Dark Places
Book cover of A Head Full of Ghosts
Book cover of The Swallows

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,587

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 You might also like…

Book cover of Christmas at Corbie Hall: A McLaren Mystery

Christmas at Corbie Hall By Jo A. Hiestand,

Former police detective Michael McLaren is looking forward to spending Christmas at his grandfather's ancient Hall with his grandfather, uncle, and his lady love, Melanie. But McLaren’s holiday plan gets snowed under when a dead man is discovered outside his grandfather’s house--in circumstances similar to an older murder. And it’s…

Book cover of Feral Maril & Her Little Brother Carol

Feral Maril & Her Little Brother Carol By Leslie Tall Manning,

Winner of the Literary Titan Book Award

Bright but unassuming Marilyn Jones has some grown-up decisions to make, especially after Mama goes to prison for drugs and larceny. With no one to take care of them, Marilyn and her younger, mentally challenged brother, Carol, get tossed into the foster care…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in murder, murder mystery, and family secrets?

Murder 1,078 books
Murder Mystery 567 books
Family Secrets 211 books